Ignition system.



F. M. NORRIS.

IGNITION SYSTEM.

APPLICATION FILED JAN. 17. 1917.

1,269,495. Patented June 11, 1918.

VIII/Ill WITNESSES p f ATTORNEY FRANK M. NORRIS, DE LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA.

IGNITION SYSTEM.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented June 11, 1918.

Application filed January 17, 1917. Serial No. 142,907.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, FRANK M. Norms, a citizen of the United States, residing at Los Angeles, in the county of Los Angeles and State of California, have invented new and useful Improvements in Ignition Systems, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to improvements in mechanism for igniting the charge in internal combustion engines, and more particularly to those engines to which the method of ignition known as jump spark or high tension ignition is applied.

The primary object of this invention is to provide a simple, substantial, and efficient means of conveying the ignition current to the spark plug or plugs of internal combustion engines, thereby eliminating the numerous disadvantages which have been found to occur where a multiplicity of small separable insulated conductors is used.

Another object is to provide an eflicient means for varying the time of occurrence of the spark or sparks relatively to the cycle of operationswithin the cylinder or cylinders so that the spark may be advanced or retarded as the varying speed of the engine or other conditions may require.

A still further object is to provide a mechanism which may be easily and quickly dismounted and remounted for purposes of examination, replacement, or repair; or to permit examination, replacement, repair or cleaning of any spark plug.

I A fourth object is to provide a mechanism which may be used to drive a magneto or other generator, which may be attached thereto, and may thereby establish electrical connection with such generator, and in this manner eliminate the necessity for any wiring whatsoever between the generator and spark plugs.

These objects and others which are embodied in the appended claims, and which will make themselves apparent from the accompanying description to those versed in the art of ignition in internal. combustion engines, are obtained by the use of mechanism substantially as hereinafter described and specified, reference being had to the accompanying drawings.

In the drawings:-

Figure 1 is a side view of my ignition mechanism as applied to the engine of an automobile having four cylinders, but it is obvious that it is equally applicable to an internal combustion en 'ne having any number of cylinders and 0 any type using high tenslon electricity as the means of igniting the charge.

Fig. 2 is a detail view of the means of connecting the wire conveying the high tensioned electrical current from the generator, induction coil, or other source with the rotating portion of the mechanism.

Fig. 3 is a detail view of a portion of the mechanism which may be used to alter the time of the occurrence of the spark relatively to the cycle of operations within each cylinder.

Fig. 4 is a side view of the means of conveying electric current from the principal conducting portion of the mechanism to the proper electrodes of the spark plugs.

Fig. 5 illustrates the use of this device for directly driving the magneto or other generator.

All parts are numbered alike throughout the drawings. Referring now to the drawings in detail, A, B, C and D designate the cylinders of an automobile engine, which is here used for the purpose of illustrating the construction and operation of this device. 1 designates a rotating shaft of metal or other conducting substance, properly mounted relatively to the cylinders A, B, O and D and journaled in bearings 2, which bearings may or may not have removable caps, and which are properly insulated from the frame of the engine. 3 is a disk of insulating material securely keyed or otherwise fastened to the shaft 1 in such a manner as to rotate therewith, one of these disks being provided for each spark plug of the engine, and so placed on'the shaft 1 that its circumference will revolve in close proximity to or in contact with an electrode 4 of the spark plug or to an extension thereof or to a contact member 5, which is pressed firmly against the circumference of the disk 3 by a spring 6. Embedded within the circumference of the disk 3 is a segment of metal of other conducting material 7, this segment being electrically connected with the shaft 1. At one end of the shaft-l is mounted an insulated holder 8, which contains a contact member 9 which is pressed into a similarly shaped depression in the end of the shaft 1 by a spring 10, also inclosed within the holder 8. The contact member 9 has attached thereto a wire 11 connecting it with a generator 12, furnishing the igni tion current. It is further provided with a knob 13 projecting through a slotin the housing 8, by which means the contact member 9 may be withdrawn from the depression into which it is forced, thereby faciliztating theremoval of the shaft 1 when required.

At the opposite end of the shaft 1 is mounted a device 1 1 for varying the timing of the spark relatively .to the cycle of operations within the cylinders A, B, C and "D. This device 14L consists of a slidable sleeve 15 uniting the shaft 1 with/a continuation 16' thereof. Theend of this sleeve 15 which telescopes on the end of the shaft 1 is provided with spiral. slots 17, through each of which slots projects a pin 18 secured to the shaft 1. The opposite end of thesleeve 15 is provided with a straight slot 19 parallel to the axis of the sleeve and having projectsome rotating portion of the engine, such 1 V means beinghere shown as a bevel gear 23.

V In practice, the shafts 1 and 16 will be ,driven throughthe gear 23 .at such a ratio to the speed of the engine that the segment 7 will coincide with the contact member 5 at the instant during each cycle-of operations within a cylinder at which the compressed charge shouldbe ignited. [Bythis means the current completes the circuit through the spark plug thereby igniting the charge.

I may modify .the arrangement shown herein as-illustrated in Fig. 5 .of the drawings, in whichfigure a generator 24 or other source of ignition current is suitably mounted upon andins'ulated from a bracket 25 in place of the insulated holder andinclosed parts 8, 9 and 10, as shown in the previous "figures, the shaft of the generator 24 being driven byjthe shaft 1, with which it establishes good electricalconnection. One terminal of .the generator windings is suitably connected to the generator shaft, and the other terminal is properly connected with someportion of'the engine frame, n this instance. the bracket 25. The operation when thiscombination of features is used is obvious. The current 'fioWs' directly from the generator into the shaft 1, the segment 7, and the contact member 5 of the spark plug without any wiring whatsoever.

.From the foregoing description taken in -connection with the accompanying'drawings, the various advantages of the mechanism will make themselves apparent to those familiar with the'art, but I wish to call attention to the fact that by removing the caps of the bearings 2 and withdrawing the contact member 9, the shaft 1 may be instantly removedand examined, and repaired i-f necessary, and any spark plug may then be easily and quicklyremoved and examined or any necessary changes made.

While I haveherein shown and described the preferred form of my invention by way of illustration, I wish it to be understood that I do not limit or confine myself to the precise details of construction herein described and delineated, as modification and variation may be made within the scope of the claims and without departingfrom the spirit of the invention.

I claim 1.,In an ignition mechanism for engines having spark plugs, .a shaft, means for attaching said shaft of an enginein proximity to a spark plug of the engine, means carried by the shaft whereby the sparkplug of the engine will be energized at a predetermined point in the rotation of the shaft, a drive shaft for the first-mentioned shaft, a sleeve on said shafts formed adjacent one of the shafts with a longitudinal slot and "formed adjacent the-other shaft with a spiral slot, each shaft having a portion engaged in the respective slot, a means for moving said sleeve longitudinally of said shafts, a spring pressed plunger having means whereby it is engaged with the first mentioned shaft, and means for electricallyenergizing said plunger.

2. In an ignition mechanism for engines having spark plugs, a shaft, means for attaching said shaft of an engine inproximity to a spark plug of the engine, means carried by the shaft whereby the sparkplug of the engine will be energized at a predetermined point inthe rotation .of the shaft, a drive shaft for the first-mentioned shaft, a sleeve onsaid shafts formed adjacent one of the shafts with a longitudinal slot and formed adjacentthe other shaft with a spiral slot, each shaft having aportion engaged in the respective slot, a means for moving said sleeve longitudinally of said shafts, a spring pressed plunger having means whereby it is engaged with the first mentioned shaft, a

gaging-a depression in the end of theshaft, said contact member being provided with a ,means for electrically energizing said plunprojecting portion facilitating Withdrawal from said depression, said shaft having secured thereto a plurality of disks of insulating material equal in number to the spark plugs of the engine, and so arranged as to rotate with the shaft with the circumference of each disk in juxtaposition to the terminal of the corresponding spark plug, each disk being provided with a conducting segment electrically connected with said shaft, means for electrically energizing the shaft, and means for rotating the same.

4-. An ignition mechanism for internal combustion engines having a plurality of spark plugs, comprising a rotatable insulated shaft of conducting material, journaled in bearings having removable caps, provided at one end with means of connection to a source of electricity, this means consisting of a spring-operated contact member engaging a depression in the end of the shaft, said contact member being provided with a projecting portion facilitating Withdrawal from said depression, said shaft having secured thereto a plurality of disks of insulating material equal in number to the spark plugs of the engine, and so arranged as to rotate with the shaft with the circumference of each disk in juxtaposition to the terminal of the corresponding spark plug, each disk being provided with a 0011- ducting segment electrically connected with said shaft, means for electrically energizing the shaft, and means for rotating the same.

5. An ignition mechanism for internal combustion engines having a plurality of spark plugs, comprising a rotatable insulated shaft of conducting material, journaled in bearings having removable caps, provided at one end with means of connection to a source of electricity, this means consisting of a spring-operated contact member engaging a depression in the end of the shaft, said contact member being provided with a projecting portion facilitating WithdraWal from said depression, said shaft having secured thereto a plurality of disks of insulating material equal in number to the spark plugs of the engine, and so arranged as to rotate with the shaft with the circumference of each disk in juxtaposition to the terminal of the corresponding spark plug, each disk being provided With a conducting segment electrically connected with said shaft, means for electrically energizing the shaft, means for rotating the same, and means for adjusting said shaft while rotating so as to vary the time of coincidence of the conducting segments with the corresponding spark plug terminals or extensions thereof.

6. In an ignition mechanism for engines having spark plugs, a shaft, means for attaching said shaft to an engine in proximity to a spark plug of the engine, means for electrically energizing the shaft, means carried by the shaft whereby the spark plug of the engine Will be energized at a predetermined point in the rotation of the shaft, a drive shaft for the first-mentioned shaft, a sleeve on said shafts formed adjacent one of the shafts with a longitudinal slot and formed adjacent the other shaft with a spiral slot, each shaft having a portion engaged in the respective slot, and means for moving said sleeve longitudinally of said shafts.

7. In an ignition mechanism for engines having spark plugs, a shaft, means for attaching said shaft to an engine in proximity to a spark plug of the engine, means for rotating the shaft, means for electrically energizing the shaft, means carried by the shaft whereby the spark plug of the engine will be energized at a predetermined point in the rotation of the shaft, said shaft being formed in at one end with a recess; and a plunger adapted to enter said recess and also adapted to be manually disengaged from said recess.

In testimony whereof I afiix my signature.

FRANK M. NORRIS.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Gommissioner of Patents, Washington, D. G. 

